Reading 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think has challenged me to think broadly about what I want for my life. I’m currently on a two-week break from work, which has freed up some mental space for dreaming, too.
Vanderkam suggests coming up with what consultant Caroline Ceniza-Levine calls a “List of 1,000 Dreams” to help you see what drives you, and to stretch the “passion muscle.”
Years ago I had come up with a “life list” of everything I wanted to do in my life. That said, my answers were all fairly tame and achievable, so much so that much of the list is crossed off.
As I began thinking anew about my own “List of 1,000 Dreams” I allowed my brain to wander to the seemingly impossible, grandiose desires of my heart. Things like:
- Create a product line of inspirational journals and sketch books
- Donate $100,000 to charity
- Run a successful business from home that provides a full-time income for my family
- Paint another mural for a client (not impossible, but I’ve stepped away from that side-hustle as of late)
- Flip a house for re-sale, or to live in ourselves
- Be completely debt free (mortgage too!)
- Spend an entire summer in Door County
- Rent a house in Costa Rica
- Write a novel
- Write a non-fiction book
- Attend the Iowa Writer’s Workshop
- Have a booth at a flea market or craft show
In the coming weeks I’ll continue thinking about my dreams and start creating an action plan to accomplish them. It’s so easy to allow day-to-day tasks to consume my life, but as I think critically about how to spend my time and energy, I want to have clear goals and dreams that guide my actions.